Carrying Capacity on Earth of Humans
Carrying capacity refers to the population size or the intensity of activities the environment can handle without having an irreversible impact.
A. Human Effects on the BiosphereLike any other specie on the earth, the human being make changes on the biosphere. The changes can be bigger, that can completely modify the biosphere.
1. Global Warming Global Warming is the increment of Earth's surface temperature due to effect of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels or from deforestation, this is a greenhouse effect. The consequences are: deserts, melting polar caps, an stronger storms. 2. Ozone Depletion In the earth atmosphere there is a thin layer called ozone. It filters out the 99% of incoming ultraviolet (UV) radiation coming from the sun. The use of chloroflurocarbons (CFSs) have been destroying the ozone. This leds to skin cancer in people. 3. Acid Deposition Acids combined with water vapor from the clouds, form gases, these acids combined with water vapor from the clouds harm the environment in a variety of ways causing acidification of lakes and streams. 4. Biomagnification Biomagnification is the increasing concentration of a substance, in the tissues of organisms. It has gone into the food chain. Animals at the top of the food chain are endangered. Example, raptos have had serious problems with broken eggs when rusting. 5. Exotic Species Humans have brought non-native species to the world. The consequences are the high rates of extinction. Extinction lowers biodiversity We can see that the human has been damaging and changing the biosphere dramatically. |
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B. Ecosystem Conditions' Effects on Population Growth
The human being can be considered as a ''plague'' because everyday the population is increasing. Comparing the human "plague'' with other types, the human has developed hygiene, the alimentation has disappeared other animals, etc. It means that it would be very difficult to extinct the human specie. This leads to a term called ''population explosion''.
Population explosion is ''the geometric expansion of a biological population, especially the unchecked growth in human population resulting from a decrease in infant mortality and an increase in longevity'' (TheFreeDictionary).
The graph below, shows how the population increased during the centuries.
Population explosion is ''the geometric expansion of a biological population, especially the unchecked growth in human population resulting from a decrease in infant mortality and an increase in longevity'' (TheFreeDictionary).
The graph below, shows how the population increased during the centuries.
The increasing amounts of people has led to less land, people have to live so they build houses and cut off the trees. This is called ''deforestation''.
The major problems of the population increasement are: the consume of natural resources increases, more trash is left, more vehicles, more water and energy causes more gases, climate change etc.
The major problems of the population increasement are: the consume of natural resources increases, more trash is left, more vehicles, more water and energy causes more gases, climate change etc.
C. Group behavior of humans regarding access to resources
The greatest quantities of resources one day will start to decrease because the population keeps increasing. The problem is that resources don't grow as humans, and the resources have to be shared with more and more persons.
There are two types of resources: renewable and non-renewable.
Renewable resources: renewable resources are natural resources that can be replaced. (ex. water, cotton, light...)
Non-renewable resources: non renewable resources are resources that cant be replaced once they are extracted from the earth. (ex. coal, aluminium, petroleum...)
A renewable resource and become in a non-renewable, an example is hunting. If animals are killed when they are little, the little animal wont leave more animals, so the quantities of that type of animal will decrease.
Common uses of earth resources are: pencils, jeans, zippers, videotapes.
Conservation is using natural resources wisely and not contributing to pollution of the land, air or water. Human activities can benefit the environment and help preserve resources.
People should be recycling to help the biosphere.
There are two types of resources: renewable and non-renewable.
Renewable resources: renewable resources are natural resources that can be replaced. (ex. water, cotton, light...)
Non-renewable resources: non renewable resources are resources that cant be replaced once they are extracted from the earth. (ex. coal, aluminium, petroleum...)
A renewable resource and become in a non-renewable, an example is hunting. If animals are killed when they are little, the little animal wont leave more animals, so the quantities of that type of animal will decrease.
Common uses of earth resources are: pencils, jeans, zippers, videotapes.
Conservation is using natural resources wisely and not contributing to pollution of the land, air or water. Human activities can benefit the environment and help preserve resources.
People should be recycling to help the biosphere.
D. Other Factors that Affect Biodiversity and Populations
- Natural Risks
Humans have also been involved in morphological area. A good example is the Suez Canal where new species were introduced to the mediterranean sea.
- Contamination
Air and water are two important components for life, the contamination of one of those would be a great problem.
Contamination is ''to make impure or unsuitable by contact or mixture with something unclean, bad, etc'' (Dictionary.com) '
Examples are: cars, factories, cellphones, plastics, etc).
- Biodiversity
Species become extinct thanks of the natural changes in the environment, such as ice ages. But during this times, the process is going to fast principally because of environmental changes caused by human activities. This are some activities that have accelerated the process:
Humans have also been involved in morphological area. A good example is the Suez Canal where new species were introduced to the mediterranean sea.
- Contamination
Air and water are two important components for life, the contamination of one of those would be a great problem.
Contamination is ''to make impure or unsuitable by contact or mixture with something unclean, bad, etc'' (Dictionary.com) '
Examples are: cars, factories, cellphones, plastics, etc).
- Biodiversity
Species become extinct thanks of the natural changes in the environment, such as ice ages. But during this times, the process is going to fast principally because of environmental changes caused by human activities. This are some activities that have accelerated the process:
- Habitat destruction
- Pollution
- Disease